9/20/2008

Let's collaborate - Part III

The final part of my posts about famous director and actor/actress collaborations is completely about Woody Allen. Not only because he is an iconic personality in the industry but also because his movies are amongst the most important films of the following artists' carrers.

1. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton

Not only did they have a rather famous romantic relationship (mostly before working together) but they also made 8 films together. More importantly, her roles in his films, starting with Play It Again, Sam and continuing with such classics as Love and Death and Manhattan officially made her a household name. But there is an other film with Allen that everyone knows and it was the work that turned Diane Keaton, comic actress into Diane Keaton, A-list star and Academy Award winner actress: Annie Hall.

This legendary movie meant Allen his first and as-of-yet only Oscar as Best Director (he won two others for Best Screenplay, one for Annie Hall and the other for Hannah and Her Sisters) and his now also legendary absence from the ceremony. Keaton is also the actress Woody Allen credits as the muse of his early career that, considering the character of Annie Hall was loosely inspired by Keaton, is quite credible.

2. Woody Allen and Mia Farrow

Another famous relationship both on and off-screen that lasted 12 years. During this time, Farrow collaborated with Allen on 13 movies, including Hannah and Her Sisters, New York Stories, Alice, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Radio Days and Zelig. All these films are considered favourites by many cinema goers and they were also very well received by the critics. No wonder why it is a commonly known fact that muses help an artist more than anything else.

3. Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansson

Though this collaboration is quite new (and Allen himself refuses to call Johansson his muse), the film industry already calls it the director's latest famous and successful relationship with an actress. It all started with Match Point that got a standing ovation at Cannes and the next film, Scoop was directly written for Johansson. And when Woody calls, you can't say no.

Their latest, much-talked about movie is Vicky Cristina Barcelona, also starring Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz that was also incredibly well-received. I am sure this is not their last work together since when Fate itself wants you to collaborate (in Match Point Kate Winslet was set to play the role of the American actress but she decided to concentrate on her family and this is how Johansson got the part, only about two weeks before the set), who are you to defy it?